First and foremost kudos to Jeep for making the JL every bit a Wrangler. The looks the feel, the drive, its every bit a Wrangler as the JK and even Tj is. It is however, a much more sophisticated wheeler.
Lets get to the upgrades which in particular JK owners will appreciate:
- The turning circle is finally of an acceptable standard in a 4 door 4by
- The ground clearance is certainly better, just getting in and out of stock Wranglers which I do daily, you know its improved
- The 8spd auto is silky smooth, both on up and downshifts its way better
- With only 1400 rpm at 100km/h the fuel economy on a stock petrol I achieved was low 10s, combined cycle only 11.5 over a 900kmh!
- Finally air vents in the rear is a welcome addition, however the aircon still struggled here in the Florida heat
- Storage has vastly improved both in the door nets, centre console and the boot is noticeable also
- Folding down the rear seats is now a basic function as it should be
- The Freedom Top Panels are so easy to remove its Childs play
- Much beefier track bar mounts front and rear
- The steering components are also beefier compared to the JK
- Diffs are much beefier tubing also
- The Uconnect works seamlessly now with my iPhone 7plus compared to the JK setup
- The factory reverse camera is fantastic and easy to use
- So easy to trim the flares for bigger rubber, jeep pretty much give you the template on the factory fender
- 2” of lift and 37s, that would have been nearly impossible some 10 years ago on any 4by
- These factory bumpers front and rear aren’t too bad, lets hope we get em!
Now lets get to the frustrations:
- Damn the wind noise on this JL is worse than a JK. I thought it had a cheap Ebay light bar on the screen it was that noticeable
- Still no bloody footrest
- Still no light in the glovebox
- The sound of the stereo in the Wrangler Sport is average
- The Engine Fan is bloody loud, louder than a JK
- Aluminium knuckles are an unknown offload
- Electric Power Steer don’t feel too much different but time will tell if its durable
- The air con from what I can tell is worse than the late model JKs, or this just struggled due to its dark colour and Florida humidity
- Jeep still wanders ot Highway Speeds, in fact I could hardly notice a difference in the ride to a stock JK. However, its hard to compare Florida roads to Melbourne roads, I think Melbs are worse! So I thought the ride would be better but I think not in stock form in comparison to the last of the JKs
- Push button start is a gimmick, you can’t put your Keys in the cupholders where Jeep intended it to go, if you have more than one key
- Stop/Start is also a gimmick but mandatory these days by vehicle manufacturers. The fuel savings won’t cover the costs of a starter motor and battery which you’ll replace more often
- Steering Stabiliser still under the tie rod and vulnerable to offload damage
- Why would you make a vehicle these days without central locking and electric mirrors, yet add cruise, stop/start tech and reversing camera?
- Its going to be expensive, the Rubi with all the options I would choose personally including leather and heated seats runs to $55 US dollars!!!
You’re going to love the JL, esp those who daily drive their Jeeps.
It will be the benchmark off-roader, that others would like to emulate but can’t replicate.
- Link to short video showcase -
https://www.instagram.com/p/Bks7BHlnD_a/?utm_source=ig_share_sheet&igshid=190e9p90ypbvw